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5 Ingredient Chocolate Almond Butter Cookies – vegan, gluten free, so easy, and so delicious. Sounds too good to be true, right? These cookies are made with creamy almond butter and blended together with dates. Then they’re baked up to create a sweet, chewy, almond butter cookie that everyone just loves. A drizzle of chocolate and a sprinkle of sea salt makes perfection in every chewy bite. They’re a little like magic, such an awesome surprise!

Did I think they’d turn out when I started making them? I had high hopes, but honestly I wasn’t that sure. I mean, 5 ingredients, no processed sugar, no egg? It seemed like a recipe for disaster, but dates are a very unique ingredient and they really pull through in these cookies. Just like that little intro above says, these really are a bit like magic.
The two pickiest critics in the family, Asher and my mom, loved these. Especially my mom. Chewy, sweet, and heavy on the chocolate. My mom is a no sugar, dessert lover, which doesn’t always go hand-in-hand, but with these cookies, it does.
Ingredients
- Creamy almond butter
- Medjool dates
- Vanilla extract
- Baking soda
- Melted dark chocolate
- Flaky sea salt
Kitchen Ingredients
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Food processor
- Wire rack
In terms of desserts, making them wholesome can be tricky. But there are a handful of ingredients I always turn to when I’m looking to experiment. Nuts butters always add flavor, they’re creaminess is delicious when baked into sweets.

But dates are something that really don’t get enough credit. They’re nature’s candy. Naturally sweet, naturally chewy, and completely on their own delicious.
I’ve used dates before to sweeten and bind recipes so I was hoping they’d do the same for these cookies. And they did not disappoint!

The details
Step One
Let’s start with preheating the oven! Set the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. The process couldn’t be simpler, but you do need a food processor or blender to make these. I’d recommend a food processor over a blender. It will give your cookies a better texture.
Take the almond butter, the dates, the vanilla, and baking soda and add everything to the food processor. Blend until the dates are super finely ground. If the mix is a little crumbly, add a splash or so of water until the dough can form a ball in your first. I usually use about 2-3 tablespoons, but it can vary depended on how plump your dates are.

Step Two
Roll the dough into balls, about 16-17, then gently flatten them down with your hand. I love to create a cross hatch patter on top with a fork. Create a crosshatch pattern.
When the cookies come out of the oven, let them cool on the pan. Then, I’d recommend placing them in the freezer to make dipping easier. Cool for 10-15 minutes. Then drizzle or dip the cookies in chocolate and sprinkle with sea salt.

Once they’re cold, dip or drizzle each cookie with chocolate.
Great for anyone looking for a gluten-free cookie, but also just delicious for everyone involved.
Don’t be skeptical promise, it’s going to be great.

Looking for other healthier dessert recipes? Here are my favorites:
5 Ingredient Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies
Healthier Homemade Nutter Butter Cookies
Healthy…ish Homemade Samoas Cookies
Tahini Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Salted Tahini Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Lastly, if you make these 5 Ingredient Chocolate Almond Butter Cookies, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
5 Ingredient Chocolate Almond Butter Cookies
Servings: 16 cookies
Calories Per Serving: 194 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 cup creamy almond butter
- 1 cup Medjool dates, pitted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 8 ounces melted dark chocolate
- flaky sea salt
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.2. In a food processor, combine the almond butter, dates, vanilla, and baking soda. Pulse until combined and until no large chunks of dates remain. If the dough is dry, add 2-3 tablespoons of water to moisten. 3. Roll the dough into 16-17 balls and place on the prepared baking sheet, gently flatten with your hand. Using a fork, press down on each dough ball to create a crosshatch pattern. Bake for 9-10 minutes. 4. Remove the cookies from the oven and let cool. To make dipping easier, freeze the cookies for 10-15 minutes. Then drizzle or dip the cookies in chocolate and sprinkle with sea salt. Eat, or let the chocolate harden. Store in a cool place or the fridge.

This post was originally published on January 28, 2022

















Yum! I love dates and any kind of nut butters. I can’t wait to try this!
I hope you love the recipe Christina!!
These look delicious! Would they work if I added protein powder too? If so, would I need to add more water, dates and/or nut butter?
Thanks so much!
Hey there,
Sure, you could probably add 1 to 2 tablespoons of protein powder and leave everything else as is. I hope you love the recipe, let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Going to give this a try! What kind of dark chocolate do you use for melting?
Hi Tasha,
I like Chocolove, Hu, or Lindt bars. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope the recipe turns out amazing for you! xTieghan
Is there something I can sub for dates? There’s a blizzard here and I have everything but the dates.
Hi Michelle,
So sorry, but you are going to need the dates for this recipe:) Let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
You think I can use sunbutter instead of almond butter to make them nut free
Hey Liz,
Sure, I bet that would be fine for you to use. I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I don’t have a food processor. Would it work in my Vitamix, or is it too thick?
Hi Tina,
It should be fine for you to use the Vitamix. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I made these last night and yum! Perfect timing for the snow storm in Boston!
Hi Stacy,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am glad to hear that it was enjoyed. Have the best weekend!! xTieghan
I was a bit skepical, but made these anyways and was TOTALLY BLOWN AWAY! So good for such a simple (and healthy) ingredients. These will be made often! Thank you!
I am going to try. I love dates in cookies.
I hope you love the recipe Eva!!
Hi Cydney,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am glad to hear that it was enjoyed. Have the best weekend!! xTieghan
Just made these – love that they are no sugar/flour but taste delicious. I just threw in some Choc chips instead of melting. My cookies came out a bit too moist so prob won’t need the added water next time. My 10 year olds loved them too!
Hey Megan,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am glad to hear that it was enjoyed. Have the best weekend!! xTieghan
I don’t have dates in the house. Can I use raisins?
Hi Sue,
So sorry, I don’t think raisins would work quite as well, I would stick with the dates. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
I reallly like the sound of this recipe (almond butter nut??). But I’m not wild about meaty chocolate on the outside. Do you think I could fold in chocolate chunks after the food processor part? Thanks!
Hey there,
Sure, I bet that would work well for you. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Hi, planning on making these this weekend. Do you think I’d be able to add choc chips into the cookie or would it make them fall apart?
Hey Christy,
I would save the chocolate chips for dipping the cookies. I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you! xTieghan
These cookies are super good! ? thanks for the recipe.
Hey Rena,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am glad to hear that it was enjoyed. Have the best weekend!! xTieghan
1 tsp = 4.34 grams
1cup = 128 grams
1/2 tsp = 2.5 grams approx
8 oz chocolate = 226 grams.
Not tested. Just calculated
Thanks Traci!!
It would be really helpful to have weight measurements (grams) for these.
It should be simple for you to look up conversions, since there are so few ingredients.
Hey Claire,
Sorry about that, I will add those!! xTieghan
YUM! I’ll definitely be making these over the weekend. I am in Boston and we are expecting 24+ inches of snow! Can I use peanut butter in place of almond butter? The grocery store is quite crazy right now lol
If you don’t need them to be vegan, check out Tiegan’s 5 Ingredient Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies linked above the recipe. They are delicious and seriously so good.
Thank you Joanne! I was specifically looking forward to using the dates as I have them in my cabinet. Those peanut butter cookies ARE SO GOOD!
These sound incredible! Would you be able to use date syrup instead of dates or would that be too much liquid, make it too wet?
Hey Ashley,
Unfortunately, I don’t think that would work quite as well for you, you need the texture of the processed dates for the cookies. Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
What if I don’t use the chocolate. Would the cookies need some vanilla or almond extract- or some of each?
Hey Laurie,
You could just skip the dipping of the chocolate, no big deal:) I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Thanks so much Joanne!
Hi Kaitlin–I have made VERY similar cookies using peanut butter so I think these should work with PB.
Hey Kailtin,
Sure! That will work well for you! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan